Planet of the Apes: Forgotten Days
by Instinct Uncaged
Summary: Set during the period between the Rise and Dawn of the planet of the Apes this story focuses on a small group of humans who must struggle in the state of Oregon where another band of Apes is emerging, ones more vicious than Ceaser. They seek to try and find a safe place that they can one day call home, this is their story
1. Prologue

**Planet of the Apes fanfiction**

**Prologue**

The rain plummeted down on the forest. The thick evergreen foliage soaked up the dense moisture until the branches of the trees become laden with too much water and they would finally give way. A great splash would sound as all the water hit the ground, spreading the liquid into the already sodden ground.

The mud underneath Sean's boot squelched loudly as he trod across the forest. The tall trees reached high up into the sky and he almost couldn't see the top of them without lying down. He grunted and pulled his boot from the mud with considerable effort, examining the deep print he'd left before moving on. The thick mud was sapping his energy, already his legs were starting to burn from having to free his feet from the surface. The rain slid off of his dark blue water-proof jack and trousers, his brown boots were now caked in mud and the rain sloshed down his face. Every now and then he would have to rub the rain out of his eyes with a hand clothed in a set of fingerless gloves.

The pack on his back seemed like it was making him sink down into the mud like an anchor at sea. He couldn't drop it though, it held his last few supplies. A couple of bottles of water, some dried fruit and bars, some nuts, duct tape, a sleeping bag and a few boxes of gun ammo, for both the Springfield forty five handgun at his waist and the bolt action rifle that was slung over his shoulder. He had to get away from the city, away from the people. They were too busy killing one another to notice him leaving, at least he hoped so. He'd heard the stories about the apes in these forests, but he hadn't seen any as of yet. For that, he was thankful.

Apparently a virus created by scientists had been tested on chimps but someone had been exposed and it had killed most of the population of the earth. The only ones left were the few who were genetically immune to it. He wasn't really sure whether this was a blessing or a curse. For those that had died their struggle was over, they had been spared from the ravages of this new world. Sean wanted to believe that there were in fact some good people out there, he just hadn't met any yet…well…..any that hadn't been about to die. Those that he'd found were either being killed for supplies, raped, or being shot for by the degenerates that now seemed to rule the cities. The world rule was probably strong, they roamed the streets simply killing people who opposed them, there could in fact be several gangs fighting for territory at any one time. That was why he had to go, he had taken all the supplies he could and left the city. There had been four of them that left the city, now it was just him.

Thunder rumbled over his head and Sean looked up with a start, it was close. He wasn't going to get very much farther in this weather. The hills around the Columbia gorge of Oregon were large and it would take a long time to get around them. He could afford to set up camp for now. Lighting flashed above him as he trudged to the roots of a large tree that he could lay down under and hopefully shelter from the rain a little. He unrolled his sleeping bag underneath it and put his backpack as a pillow at the head of the sleeping bag. He unzipped it and climbed into it, welcome of the heat and a little sleep. He'd been on the move for a while and his legs had been complaining for a long time so it was nice to finally get to lay down. His eyes were heavy, sleep finally washed over him without a moment's notice.

Something wet was running down his head making him wake with a start. He sat up without thinking and his head slammed into the solid root of the true that he was sleeping under, "ow!" he exclaimed bringing his head up and covering the sore spot on his head. He could already feel the blood rushing to the spot and knew it was going to swell out soon. Hopefully some of the cool air would help reduce it.

He looked around. The rain had stopped but dark grey clouds still hung in the sky, he was sure that it was day time, maybe early morning, that was good, it meant he hadn't wasted a whole day sleeping. He re-rolled his sleeping bag back up and stowed it in his bag before pulling out a bottle of water and some dried fruit. The sweetness of the fruit was as close as he would ever actually get to chocolate again. He missed chocolate. After quenching his thirst and feeding his appetite as much as he dared he stood up, picked up his rifle and kept walking. It wasn't raining anymore but the ground and the trees were still soaked through with the moisture.

A soft rustling noise ahead made him drop down to a crouch. Was it them? People? Or Apes? Every muscle in his body tensed up as he crept slowly forwards through the green bushes ahead. His grip tightened around the rifle and he shouldered it to better aim and fire it. Looking down the poor scope with a crack to the side he could see not a person, not an ape, but a large deer. It moved with grace as it dipped it's neck to pick at the green shrubbery on the ground nearest it.

He was ashamed to think it but Sean's first thought was to kill it for food. Before any of this he would never hunt and kill an animal for food, yes he would eat meat but he would never hunt. Then he contemplated just watching it, but his logical thought process started kicking his. This would be a big source of food, it could feed him for a while and he didn't know when or if he would get to refill his supplies anytime soon.

He chambered a round and aimed at the deer. He wasn't happy about the decision but it was one that he would have to make, or risk starvation. He took a deep breath to steady himself. Everything seemed to be moving very slowly. The deer raised it's head at the metallic click from the rifle, then Sean exhaled and fired. The rifle barked and the muzzle flare signaled that the bullet had taken flight. It punched a hole into the deer's side just at the shoulders. Missed! It let out a terrified noise and hopped back, startled and in pain. He tried to pull the bolt action back quickly to chamber a new round but the deer had already started to gallop away. When he was ready it was gone.

Sean let out an exasperated sigh and stepped from his cover, walking to the spot where the deer had been standing. Flecks of crimson liquid spattered the dirty ground and the tree behind it. The round must have gone straight through. He crouched down to looked at the blood. Now he was no tracker but he could follow the hoof marks in the muddy ground and blood from the shot. He was thankful that it wasn't raining because that would make it near impossible to follow.

The hoof marks in the muddy ground were easy to follow, they had carved great clods of dirt out of the ground and scattered them around the forest floor. The ground was a bit more of a solid surface today but Sean could still feel his boot sink a little into the ground. He was constantly wary of his footing, a broken ankle out here would cost him his life.

After following the tracks for what seemed like an hour he finally came across the carcass of the deer lying across the muddy earth. Sean knelt down next to it and put a hand on it's side. It let out a low noise of pain and tried to crawl away. He could feel a little bit of him die inside, he'd caused this animal so much pain, he hadn't even killed the poor creature in a clean shot. He couldn't handle seeing such a majestic creature in so much pain. He grimaced merely at the sight of it and ran his hand along it's side slowly, "sshhhh" he said soothingly to it, drawing the rifle in his free hand. He aimed at it's head taking a deep breath. This was him, ending it's life. It's whole existence.

He pulled the trigger. The shot echoed around the forest as he exhaled. He crouched back down next to it, trying not to step in the pooling blood and brain matter that was seeping out of the carcass. This is what the world was now, ugly and cruel, just like humanity. Maybe they didn't even deserve to live, maybe the apes should be the dominant species on the planet. As depressing as these thoughts were he had no intention of dying anytime soon.

Then a noise chilled his blood. It sounded like a roar, or a scream. It was a primal, fierce sound that cut through the forest. Right there and then, it terrified Sean far more than the sound of any gunshot ever could. He could see several forms swinging across tree branches, their silhouettes moved swiftly as more rustling sounded from around him.

The deer would have to wait, he turned and ran as fast as he could. He sprinted through the forest trying to keep his breathing steady, his boots thudded heavily across the ground as he pumped his legs to keep himself going as fast as he could. The burning in his legs was quick to return after the long march yesterday but he pushed himself on. The screams and rustling continued to sound behind him but that only made him push harder. Adrenaline pumped through his system, the blood was pounding in his ears.

He could now actually hear them sliding from branch to branch, or the thuds of the footfalls behind him. He jumped over a knocked over tree trunk and crouched by it, hiding. His heart was racing and he peered under the tree trunk. He could see silhouettes moving and could hear the heavy noises of a massive form. It thumped over the tree trunk and kept going, away from him. Overhead the silhouettes headed in the same direction.

Sean waited a moment. He didn't know if they were gone or not. A moment turned into a few minutes, he couldn't tell how long he'd been hiding by the tree trunk for. He was still tensed up. He let out an exhale of breath he didn't know he'd been holding and slowly stood up, using the tree trunk to steady himself with one hand. He stared in the direction that they had gone and had to exhale again.

A heavy thump sounded behind him and he froze before turning round. An ape, coated with black hair crouched on all fours on the tree trunk and stared at him. It's fangs were bared and it opened it's maw, letting out a terrifying scream.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Human!" the ape bellowed at him, it's speech seemed full of rage and anger. Spittle flew from its mouth flecking Sean on the face as it shouted, "human!" Sean backed up and tripped over a root. He hit the ground hard and fumbled for his weapon as the ape suddenly lunged at him. He had no chance to pull his gun out as the ape landed on top of him, it let out primal shrieks as it began pummeling him with heavy two handed blows. Sean raised his arms to his head to try and protect his head but the ape was powerful and just continued laying into him, pain erupted from wherever it hit. He closed his eyes in pain, his arms started to feel numb, the pain was starting to become too much and he didn't know how much longer he could last, his body was screaming out for it to stop.

"No!" came a bellow, it was deep, strong and full of power. The beating mercifully stopped and Sean managed to just crack one eye open. His muscles were screaming in agony and his body ached from the beating he'd just endured but he did his best not to move. Through his slightly blurred vision he could just make out the shape of another ape, walking slowly on both legs towards them. "No" it repeated firmly, its jaw was clenched, lips quivered as is ready to peel back and reveal the sharp fangs that lay beneath.

"Human!" the ape on top of Sean screeched again before climbing off and striding towards the other ape. They began signing to one another and Sean couldn't understand the exchange. "Human game here, we hunt, we kill, you know this grey," the ape signed to the newcomer.

"Human alone is weak, Molk" signed Grey as the two apes came within arms reach of each other and stopped, "more will come if he dies".

"More game for the hunt" Molk signed back, a feral grin crossing his face, his teeth bared, "you were always weak in stomach with the hunts, have never caught a human before". Molk looked back to Sean, who tried to move but couldn't summon the energy to do so, "you have this one" he signed, gesturing to Sean, "It will be your blooding". Grey didn't move or make any gestures back, his stare burrowed into Molk's eyes but the darker ape didn't back down. "If you won't take him" Molk signed, pushing his finger into Grey's chest, "then Molk will".

Grey's lips peeled back to reveal his sharp fangs as Molk turned away and started walking back to Sean. "No!" he bellowed and the grey ape propelled himself into Molk and the two apes were sent tumbling to the forest floor. Biting, kicking, screeching, Grey managed to rip himself from the entanglement and slammed his fist into Molk's head, knocking the ape back. The two square off against each other, padding for a moment in the soft dirt, their eyes never moved away from one another. Grey blocked Sean from Molk who was bleeding from a gash above his eye; Grey had nasty bite marks on his shoulder and arm.

The two apes were just about to launch at each other again when gunshots rang out. Grey snarled angrily as did Molk, the two dove back into the undergrowth and out of sight, their blood stained some of the already wet foliage a dark crimson. Sean tried to move and get up but his body screamed in protest, he just couldn't move. _Who was coming? Was it bandits? Was he to be saved from apes only to be killed by humans? _These thoughts swirled around in his head as he held his breath, partly from being anxious but also because it hurt to breathe.

"Hey buddy! You alive under there?" a voice sounded from overhead, it sounded like a man's voice. _Should he respond? Maybe he should just lie here and pretend that he was dead? _ Sean couldn't speak but decided he had to try anyway.

"Yeah" he croaked, pain lancing up his sides as he spoke.

There was a pause, then the voice sounded again, "guys come on, he's here". The voice sounded urgent, almost eager. Then many feet sounded all around him, and Sean tilted his head up, the dull overcast sky could be seen again, but there was a darkness creeping around the edges of his vision. He could make out small group of silhouettes standing around him now. Judging by the builds there were three men, four women and a young boy. They all stared at him anxiously. "You okay?" asked a man in a brown cowboy hat as he reached down and carefully tried to help Sean to his feet. Every part of him screamed to just lie down as Sean tried to stand up but it was no god, he could only manage to gingerly get to a sitting position. His head was pounding and he could tell that it was swelling up; the darkness was encroaching further into his vision.

"We need to go," said one of the women in a sharp voice, "we can't afford to wait".

"She's right" a man's voice chimed in, "we need to hurry up, the rotunda's not far from here but if we want to make it by nightfall…"

"We are not leaving him," snarled another man as Sean could see a figure crouch down next to him. His vision had gone all blurry now as the darkness crept further into his vision, "can you tell us your name?"

"Sean" he managed to get out before his vision went completely black and he passed out.

_His vision was blurred at first as he opened his eyes, he blinked several times to try and make his vision sharper and eventually everything came into focus. It all looked different though, he couldn't figure out what it was though. Sean was in the forest, under his tree roots for shelter, he tried to stand up but it was very difficult. It took him several attempts before he was able to find the balance that brought him to his feet. He brought his hand up to his face to wipe the sleep from his eyes; only it wasn't his hand at all. This hand was covered in thick black hair that tickled his face, he started to panic. Sean moved quickly from his shelter over to a nearby puddle of water and looked down into his reflection. The face of an ape stared right back up at him, it's features furrowed in confusion, and panic crossed its face. He was the ape! He raised his head to the sky and let out an almighty cry._

Sean jolted awake, up into a sitting position. He immediately felt a stabbing pain in his side and gasped at it, he grimaced as he put one of his hands to his side. He was inside a yellow tent, it wasn't huge but it was definitely big enough for him to have plenty of room, the rain gently pattered down against the outside of the tent. He was also inside of a sleeping bag, his own sleeping bag actually. Then it all came flooding back to him, the people that had found him; they must have put him here.

Footsteps sounded outside, squelching in the mud they drew nearer until they got to the front of the tent. Sean tensed up for a moment, completely unsure of what to expect but then a head made it's way through the door of the tent. The poorly shaven head of a middle-aged man, "oh thank god you're awake" the head departed for a moment, "Josh, Sonya come quick he's up". Sean couldn't make out the reply from the others but the poorly shaven man climbed into the tent, he wore a navy blue cap which covered his light brown hair and a blue water-proof poncho, his cream cargo trousers looked soaked but he came and sat down on the floor of the tent next to Sean. "How are you doing Sean?" he asked concernedly for a moment, "we were worried about you".

"How long was I out for?" Sean croaked, suddenly realizing that he was parched, the words seemed to scratch at the back of his throat like sandpaper.

"About a day and a half" the man replied, handing him a bottle of water from a bag that lay next to Sean, "we weren't sure if you were even gonna wake up after the state you were in".

There was a pause for a moment as Sean remembered the fight, "do you have a mirror or something?" Sean asked reaching up and touching his head, it felt very tender but it wasn't as sore to move around anymore so he took it as an improvement.

"Afraid not" the man replied as the sound of more trudging footsteps could be heard from outside. "My name is Dylan, Sonya and Josh are just about to come in", as if on queue a man and a woman stepped through the door, the man was short, clean shaven and had blonde hair that went down onto a fringe on his forehead. The woman had jet-black hair and a slender frame.

"You are one lucky son of a bitch" the woman Sonya said with her arms crossed, "if we'd been any later then you'd be dead". There was a murmur of agreement from Josh, Sean didn't say anything though, and he remembered the ape that had basically saved him from a brutal death.

"Yeah we even got one of the little bastards that was killin ya" Josh said with a grin on his face.

Sean cocked his head in curiosity, "maybe it's a bit soon to be bringing that up," Dylan said a little anxiously.

"Wait.." Sean said, a little confused, "you got the one who attacked me?"

"One of them anyway" Sonya said, a little disgusted tone in her voice, "damn apes, as if it wasn't bad enough that they killed most of us off through some kinda disease".

"I want to see it" Sean said, forcing himself into a crouched position, putting his feet into his boot gingerly. The group exchanged a look, "I'm going," he added firmly. Dylan sighed and helped Sean to his feet, Sonya and Josh held the door open as they walked out into the campsite. The campsite was actually inside of an old stone building that consisted of a wide atrium with a dome at the top. The dome however was full of holes, time had not aged the structure kindly, and the tents were placed just under the holes so that the rest of the room would be left free. The rotunda was actually on a lookout point by a cliff which looked down onto a valley covered in lush forestry; a wide river ran down through the middle of the valley. Dylan walked Sean over to the edge of the lookout point where a rope was tied to the barrier, the end of the rope went over the edge and Sean peered down. That's when he saw it. The rope had tied its hands and feet together; it hung upside down, head pointed straight at the sheer drop. The grey ape that had saved Sean.


End file.
